Does reproduction cause oxidative stress? An open question

Metcalfe, N.B. and Monaghan, P. (2013) Does reproduction cause oxidative stress? An open question. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 28(6), pp. 347-350. (doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2013.01.015)

Abstract

There has been substantial recent interest in the possible role of oxidative stress as a mechanism underlying life-history trade-offs, particularly with regard to reproductive costs. Several recent papers have found no evidence that reproduction increases oxidative damage and so have questioned the basis of the hypothesis that oxidative damage mediates the reproduction–lifespan trade-off. However, we suggest here that the absence of the predicted relationships could be due to a fundamental problem in the design of all of the published empirical studies, namely a failure to manipulate reproductive effort. We conclude by suggesting experimental approaches that might provide a more conclusive test of the hypothesis.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in Trends in Ecology and Evolution. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Monaghan, Professor Pat and Metcalfe, Professor Neil
• Authors: Metcalfe, N.B., and Monaghan, P.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
• Journal Name: Trends in Ecology and Evolution
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 0169-5347
• ISSN (Online): 1872-8383
• Published Online: 26 February 2013
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.
• First Published: First published in Trends in Ecology and Evolution
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher